Our father died August 29, 1994, fourteen years ago today. You never forget your father, no matter what your relationship was. The greatest tribute to our father came not from our family, but from a local Marion, Indiana sports writer.
Ken Hill, the publisher of The Sport’s Hotline, a weekly newspaper featuring local sports in and around Grant County, came to the visitation and later wrote in the September 9, 1995 issue of his little newspaper the following wonderful column about Ward Arnold. I think it captured him perfectly. It symbolized a lot about who my father was in the eyes of a person in the community. It said more about him than anything I have written about him. The column came from a person who knew, admired and respected my father at a different level.
It’s too bad there’s not a Super Fan Hall of Fame because if there was Ward Arnold surely would have been one of the first to be elected. Ward was more than just a fan. He was a super fan just like some athletes are super stars, only without all the ego, fame, money and publicity. He died last week at the age of 82 and with his passing closed the book on one of the greatest supporters of Marion High School athletics ever had.
He never scored a basket or a touchdown. He never hit a home run or pitched a no-hitter. He never ran a 100-meter dash and he never pinned his opponent in the first period. He never won a 100-meter freestyle or took first place on the balance beam. He never hit an ace serve and never scored a winning goal. He never crossed the finish line first and he never made a 25-foot birdie putt. Nope, he never did any of those things but yet he probably saw others do them more than anyone in the history of Marion High school sports. Ward Arnold was a fan’s fan.
Basketball was his big thing but he would follow all the other sports as well. For so many years as long as a Marion Giant team was playing there was a good chance Arnold was there. The year was 1975. Marion hadn’t won a state basketball championship since 1926. The Giants got to Market Square Arena that year for the Final Four. Ward was vacationing in Arizona at the time. But he didn’t let a few miles stand in his way of seeing his Giants go for the state title He got on a plane and was at MSA when Marion took it all. Arnold was in the eighth grade when the Giants last won the state championship.
He was a rabid fan but not a very vocal one. At basketball games he would sit there with pencil in hand keeping score. More often than not, right beside him, too, would be Maxyne, his wife of so many years. Maxyne became ill a year or two ago and was unable to make the games. In fact, she became ill at a Marion Giant home game one night. Ward and Maxyne were pretty much inseparable. One can’t recall seeing Ward at a Marion basketball last season because Maxyne was unable to be there, and he didn’t want to leave her and go alone. Yet, he kept buying season tickets. Last year marked the 66th straight time that he had season tickets to Marion High School basketball games.
They were a lovely couple that seemed to depend on one another quite a lot. Arnold didn’t yell out like some fans but he would voice his opinion rather quietly, giving either words of praise or criticism as he saw fit. There are a lot of adults who attend Marion basketball games. They don’t have kids playing, but they are there to support the Giants. But once the season is over most of them aren’t to be seen at another athletic event until the next basketball season rolls around. But that wasn’t the case with Ward. He had no son or daughter playing but he was there at other events just the same. He saw his share of sports besides basketball or football. He was a genuine fan. He went to games because he loved sports and young people. He went because he was a true blue Marion Giant fan.
None of us will live forever. Ward Arnold had a good long life. Marion High School was blessed to have such a dedicated fan. There are fans such as Joe Blow and then there are fans like Ward Arnold. People, there’s a world of difference. The Hotline’s sympathy goes to wife Maxyne and the family. There have been few fans like Ward Arnold and there won’t be too many more like him down the road either.
Have a nice day!
Sam Arnold, son of Ward and Maxyne
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